My Colts

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Somehow I just assumed this column was exclusively for auto pistols and I don't have much to contribute in that field. But, I do have, and have had some Colts, and you've left yourself open. So..

My first revolver was a Colt New Service. I bought it through mail-order when I was a youngster. It was a commercial model, not a M-1917, that was once a Canadian Mounties gun, in .455 Eley. It had been reworked into .45 Colt. My first reloads were the wax bullet loads as my mother would not allow live .45 ammunition to be shot in the house. My shooting range was my bedroom, shooting into the open closet using a cardboard box and newspaper for a bullet trap. I still have a fondness for the old New Service.

Following that gun I went through several Colt M-1917 .45 ACP revolvers.

I bought a .22 Officers Model Match when I got into bullseye competion. For a brief period I had matched .22 and .38 Officers Models. I got as far as a Sharpshooter rating before dropping out of bullseye competition.

Another Colt was one of the early two-tone Frontier Scout .22 Single Actions. This gun was not an expensive one, and plain fixed sights, but accounted for its share of squirrels. It was one of the best squirrel guns I ever had.

I acquired a Colt Gold Cup .45 ACP that I really liked except for losing so much brass. This gun was a dandy gun for potting crows out to about seventy five yards or so. I used Winchester Silvertips for that, and they opened up on those birds.

My Colts are gone now, except for a customized .357 Magnum Single action and a .45 Colt New Frontier. The .357 Magnum suffered a stretched top strap which I had to have realigned, so now use it only as a .38 Special. It has sentimental value to me, so won't part with it.

And of all things, I forgot the Python. I had a 6" blue early 1970s vintage. I traded it because the Single Action became available and I didn't have the funds then to buy it outright. I loaned the Python to my son-in-law when his Dan Wesson blew out the side plate, and he took a couple of groundhogs with it.

I never worry about hurting the value of a six gun. Like a new car, the value drops the minute you walk out the door with it. Its not apt to increase in value during your lifetime. I'll continue to buy for their enjoyment for the here and now.

My Colts

First Colt was the second gun I ever bought. It was a Commander .45acp model which I could not shoot well. This was in the 1970's and I followed it with a used New Fronter in .22lr. Traded them for who knows what now!
I later in the 1970's bought and have kept a last generation Woodsman (new) in 4 inch; a Colt SAA in .45 colt (later and sadly traded away); Colt New Frontier in .45 colt, 7.5 inch (never fired); Colt Government xse in 45 acp. And for Christmas last a Colt New Service in .44spec, 5 1/2 inch, reblued and the frame date is 1917 but barrel has a 1926 patent date so I assume it is a "parts gun" but it shoots well in sa but double action is real hard. And finally a few days ago I got hold of a Colt Anaconda in .45 colt, 6 inch ss and it's great (papers and all). Had to trade a lot for the Anaconda but that's life. I also collect S&W--but that's another story. Comments?